Improvement in gun-locks



'W. BRIGGS. GUN LOCK Patented Aug. 30, 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BRIGGS, on'nonnrscrown, rnuNs LvAniA;

IM PROVElVI ENT' m GUN-LOCKS.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BRIGGS, of Norristown, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in'Guns and Fire- Arms; and I hereby declare that thefollowing specification, in connection with the accompanying drawingsand letters of reference marked thereon, constitute a lucid, clear, andexact description of the construction and use of the same.

In referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 denotes a side elevation;Fig. 2, an inverted planor underneath view of the spring-hammer guard;Fig. 3, a sidev and end elevation of the breech-pin or tang; Fig. 4,acentral, vertical, and longitudinal section of Fig. 1. The nature of myinvention consists in the pecuiiar method. of fabricating,-- adapting,uniting, and securing the stock and gun-barrel to each other, and in soconstructing, arranging, and combining the stock with the spring-hammerguard and trigger as to constitute the look, all arranged as described,for simplicity and cheapness in construction and an increased durabilityin use, greater safety from explosion, and greater precision in service,all as will be hereinafter seen.

To enable persons skilled in the art to which my invention apperta'insto construct and carry out the same, I will describe it as follows:

I construct the stock of malleable iron, (seen at A,) cast in one entirepiece and made hollow and light. A square hole is formed in the neck ofthe stock, which leadsto the main cavity in the stock, and this hole andthe hole for the cap -box B are'the only openings formed through thestock, and answer to sustain the core in casting. The square hole at theend of the stock is nicely trued or shaped, and the end of the stocksquared off or finished, so that the breechpin or tang C, which isfinished and screwed into the barrel D, will exactly fit and conj oin tothe square hole formed in the stock to receive it, both the barrel andstock being drawn up together by the tapering screw-pin E, which forcesthe breech end of the gun-- cheap,

barrel and the end of the stock together in the firmest manner, bringingmetal to metal,

and consequently there is verylittle liability of its getting loose. ThethimblesF are attached directly to the barrel D, to receive the ramrodG, andthus obviating the necessity of a rib.

I construct'the look as follows, the stock A constituting thelock-plate: Iconstruct the sprlng; hammer, and guard all in one of steelandproperly tempered. This springhammer guard has a bosh formed near itsfront end, (seen at 1,) which is countersunk, to strike'the tube J toexplode the cap, the front end of H being bent and formed (as seen at K)to constitute the guard,- the opposite end of the spring-hammer guardbeing bent, as seen .at L, to conjoin to thel'ockplate or stock A, towhich it is held by screw O. The trigger is seen at P, which passesthrough slot 0 in spring-hammer guard H, it being secured to the stock Aor lock-plate by pin n, passing through bosh Q, cast thereon. The notcha on triggerP catches onto bosh at i as the gun is cooked, and renderinga trigger-spring unnecessary. Thus the look, by its peculiarconstruction and the-entire means of" H and P to its plate or stocksecuring parts A, consists of but four pieces, including the guard, andthe number of pieces constituting theentire gun is lessened from the oldmeth- 0d nearly one-half, while the parts constitutingmy gun, whenconstructed and united as within described, constitutethe most simple,and perfect gun known. The parts are easily constructed and repaired,and what fewthere are of them are on the exterior of the gun and easy ofapproach. The stock A is ground smooth and'bronzed the same as thebarrel, for its-finish.

All that is neces'saryin using my gun is to load it in the usual way,place the forefinger of the right hand (for convenience) within theguard part K of the spring-hammer guard, and raise it, at the same timepressing the trigger with the thumb of the same hand until the notch acatches under bosh i,- then the gun is ready to be discharged.

piece, (seen at H.) Thisismade of the best What I claimas my invention,and desire to bined with stock A essentially in the manner secure byLetters Patent, is and for the purposes fully set forth. Gonstructin thestock A and breech of barrel D so as to he susceptible of and united toWILLIAM BRIGGS each other by the tang or breech-pin O and Witnesses:tapering screw-pin E, and the spring-hammer E. W. SCOTT, guard H andtrigger P, arranged and com S. LAMB.

